


X - 1 = 0

by Anichibi



Category: Rockman X | Mega Man X, Rockman | Mega Man - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Role Reversal, Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-27
Updated: 2018-09-27
Packaged: 2019-07-18 03:53:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16110242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anichibi/pseuds/Anichibi
Summary: I swear I'll change the title when I think of something better.





	X - 1 = 0

Zero didn't know what to think when he woke up with X on top of him, laying on some rubble with messages popping in his vision informing him of battle damage. Broken armor here, damaged leg there, the usual post-battle stuff. It took a few seconds for his processor to kick in and give him that small realization that something wasn't right here, X-wise. He looked down at X and realized his _entire lower half was gone_ , the only thing left being the sparking parts of his foot a good yard away. He dug through his memory banks to see if he had any recollection of what the hell happened, even just the smallest clue. Vile, X, fighting, explosion - wait. _Wait_.

It clicked. X blew himself up to finish off Vile. It must've worked, considering Zero was still alive and miraculously uninjured aside from his previously sustained injuries. He shook off his thoughts. Only one thing was on his mind now. X. He quickly sat up, adjusting X in his arms. "X! Say something! Come on!" He shook the reploid, feeling something tear at his artificial throat. "X!" He screamed X's name until his screams reduced themselves to pained sobs. _"This wasn't supposed to happen! Not him, please! **Not him!** "_ He wanted to scream and yell and curse and cry into the sky because _this wasn't right_.

Almost as if answering his silent pleas, X moved slightly in his arms. Zero's sobs were cut short as he listened for X's voice. "Zero...?" His head shot up and his eyes bore into X's, dark and barely open and filled with faint static. His lip trembled with a sob. X was barely hanging on, by the looks of it. "X, hang in there, okay?!" Zero tried keeping his voice steady, but it trembled and broke slightly. X's head was slowly lolling back, so Zero supported it with one hand while the other held up the remnants of his body. X's eyes weakly stared up at him before a weak smile formed on his face. "Zero... you're okay..! I'm... so glad..." X began to reach up to embrace Zero, but he barely had the energy for it. Zero lifted him up to hug him, his eyes wide and now brimming with tears. X weakly returned his tight embrace, his head resting on Zero's shoulder.

Zero wanted so desperately to save X, give him whatever he could to ensure he survived. But, nothing came to mind. He could carry him all the way through Sigma's castle and send him back to base when he got the chance, but X might not live long enough for that. He could give X the parts he was missing, but that would require basically cutting himself in half and leaving X to fight Sigma alone. He had to leave him behind. There was no other way.

Zero hated that thought more than anything. It made him feel useless, like he failed X. X sacrificed himself for Zero, and the red-clad hunter had no way to pay him back. He promised himself he'd protect X, a promise that practically engrained itself into his code, yet the blue bot was dying in his arms. Because Zero was reckless. Because he was weak. Zero let out the sobs he'd been repressing, and X couldn't work up the energy to push back to see his face and comfort him. "Zero..."

"X, I'm sorry... I couldn't protect you... I couldn't save you... I'm sorry..." Zero kept apologizing, his voice beginning to break even more. For a few seconds, X simply rubbed Zero's back. Until he heard particular phrase. "It's all my fault..." X tried to get himself into a position where Zero's face was visible, but his missing lower half as well as his already low energy made it impossible. "Zero, that's not true!" X managed to yell. Zero almost seemed to jump. His voice had been so quiet when he spoke. He was sure X couldn't hear him. "I didn't... try to stop you... from fighting Vile alone. I saw you... in pain... and acted on my own. I didn't like... seeing you hurt..." Zero didn't know what to say. He was crying louder, and he could just barely hear the echo of his sobs. He felt X ball up his hands against his back.

"Zero... I want you to... take something." X spoke softly, hoping doing so wouldn't make him sound so weak. "What is it?" Zero asked. He managed to keep his sobbing down to silent tears so X could speak. "I... want you to... take my arm. My buster. Use it... to defeat Sigma." Zero tensed up. "X, I..." He thought long and hard about his words before he spoke. "Of course I will, X. I'll make sure he pays for what he's done, and do it by our hands. I promise I won't let you down." Zero sounded confident, and X couldn't be happier. "Oh, Zero? One more thing..."

"What is it?"

"I... I love you." Zero paused as he processed those words. Did he really hear what he thought he heard? Double checking and triple checking confirmed that, yes, his hearing wasn't damaged. X really loved him. Zero's expression softened. "I love you too, X. I love you too."

X began losing consciousness, and Zero noticed quickly. He moved X back and watched the life drain from his eyes, biting his lip. He wasn't going to cry again, he _wasn't_. X weakly reached up to his face, his hands barely holding both sides of Zero's head. Zero understood what he wanted. He wasted no time leaning in and kissing the dying robot, his tears spilling out once again. The kiss was short but passionate, Zero's eyes tightly shut. His final wish granted, X finally went limp, his eyes half lidded and covered in static.

Zero gently laid him on the ground, simply staring at his best friend-no, lover... yeah, Zero thought, that sounded right. Finally, he decided to fulfil X's other wish. With a moment of hesitation, Zero detached X's right arm, doing the same to his own. He replaced his missing limb with X's, opening and closing his hand to make sure it worked right and to get used to the appendage. After that, he smiled sadly at the lifeless bot on the floor before spinning around and running down the hallway, one final tear running down his cheek and dripping onto the floor.

————————————————

Zero watched Sigma's castle explode and sink into the ocean, taking with it the remains of X, Vile, Sigma, and everyone else that was destroyed in it. He cast a downward glance to his right arm, X's arm, the only piece of his love that remained. He dealt the final blow to Sigma with a charge shot from this arm. In a way, that made this victory X's as well as Zero's, even if X wasn't alive to see it. Zero looked back up at what little of Sigma's castle was still above the water. The sun was coming up over the horizon and reflecting beautifully on the ocean's surface. With a sense of finality, Zero clenched his fist, X's fist, and raised it to the sky. _"We did it, X. We did it. Together."_

**Author's Note:**

> I swear I'll change the title when I think of something better.


End file.
